The primary significance of the Investor Choice Act will be the elimination of pre-dispute arbitration agreements that are commonly used in broker-dealer and investment advisor contracts. These agreements force customers who sue their broker, advisor or firm to pursue their claims only in arbitration. By eliminating these agreements, customers who have a dispute with their advisor, broker, or firm will have the option of electing to sue in arbitration or go to court and have their case heard by a jury.

Talking points will include: 1) the problems with mandatory arbitration, 2) who are the people bringing claims against their brokers, financial advisors, etc., and 3) why choosing arbitration over court should be the choice of the investor, not the broker-dealer.

Ms. Malecki will also be discussing the need for more transparency among our financial regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

This discussion will center around the benefits and need for the public at large to have access to information about how the securities industry is regulated and to be able to verify the fairness of FINRA’s arbitration forum, with a focus on how the lack of transparency harms the investing public.